Two NJ Lawyers Are Charged with Structuring Bank Deposits to Avoid Reporting Threshold

Two New Jersey lawyers are facing accusations that they structured $354,000 in bank deposits to avoid federal reporting requirements.

Goldie Sommer and Edward Engelhart of Sommer & Engelhart in Fairfield surrendered to Internal Revenue Service agents last Wednesday, the New Jersey Law Journal (reg. req.) reports. Bail was set at $100,000 for each lawyer.

A criminal complaint contends the lawyers made several deposits of less than $10,000 on behalf of a client to avoid triggering IRS reporting requirements. According to the complaint, the lawyers admitted they had inferred the client didn’t want to file the disclosure forms.